Castle's Seitz gets second Lucas Oil try

Terre Haute North will present 'big challenge'

PAOLI, Ind. - When Rayce Thornbury went down with an injury in Castle High School's game against New Albany two years ago at Lucas Oil Stadium at Indianapolis, Clay Seitz stepped into the breach.

"I ended up playing most of the game," Seitz said before Tuesday's football practice.

Now a senior, it will be Seitz's turn to tutor the youngsters when the Knights return to Lucas Oil, playing Terre Haute North at 7:30 p.m. CDT Friday in the Horseshoe Classic. Castle is ranked No. 3 in The Associated Press preseason Class 5A poll while the Patriots are No. 8 in 5A. Indianapolis Cathedral and Indianapolis Ben Davis play in the first game at 5.

"I'm sure I'll still get butterflies," said Seitz, a 6-foot, 175-pound linebacker. "Walking through the tunnel under the stadium, it's surreal how big the space is. What I'm doing this year is I'm keeping focused. I won't be as shocked as some of the younger guys."

Castle has won the last two in the series against Terre Haute North, which under the IHSAA's revised postseason format, will join the Knights in the new Class 5A Sectional 16. North and Terre Haute South round out the four-team field.

Castle coach Doug Hurt said Terre Haute North will be one of the best teams on the Knights' schedule.

"It's going to be a big challenge," Seitz said. "We're going to figure out where we are."

While Castle's high-powered offense got most of the ink as the Knights raced to a 12-1 record last season, Seitz anchored a solid defense. Hurt said Seitz is probably the glue to the entire team, not just the defense.

"He's our most talented player," Hurt said. "He has speed, athleticism and intellect. He's an very intelligent player. He makes everyone around him better. He goes with the flow."

When the football players ran sprints last spring, Seitz was on the heels of wide receiver Jon-Marc Anderson, probably the fastest player in Knights' history, Hurt said. Anderson, a 5A all-stater last fall, is now a freshman at Illinois State University. Hurt noted that Seitz's sheer athleticism is unusual for a middle linebacker.

Although Castle has just three returning starters on offense and defense, Hurt has more than 90 players out from grades 10-12.

"Some kids may not ever see the field," Hurt said.

But he hopes Castle football will do for them what it did for him, "mold character and build future lives. The coaching staff has done a tremendous job. We had 55 kids out when I started (as head coach in 2006)."

When there's lots of football to be played, Castle would like nothing better than to return to Lucas Oil in November.